Debate Rises Over Billing Countries for Immigrant Students

As they return to the classroom this week, Anaheim high school teachers, students and parents are stepping into the midst of a blazing debate over billing foreign governments for the cost of educating illegal immigrants.

Most--still basking in the glow of summer vacation--are barely aware of the fierce argument that has polarized community activists across Orange County. But many of those who are paying attention side--at least in spirit--with Anaheim Union High School trustees, saying that beneath the politics is a crucial issue: the lack of money to ease classroom crowding.

“The means may not be the best, but I think the ends are fairly noble,” said Charlie Bialowas, chairman of the math department at the district’s Oxford Academy.

Dottie Garbisch, the mother of a ninth-grader at Oxford Academy, said it is naive for anyone to expect foreign countries or the federal government to reimburse the school district for the money it spends on educating undocumented students.

“But it’s the first step in the process of changing the district’s budget,” she said. “By knowing how many of these children there are, the system might be able to plan better and fund the programs that are most needed. I don’t think the Anaheim school district wants to hurt kids. I think they just want to be able to plan better.”

The issue began with a proposal in May by board President Harald Martin to bill foreign countries for the education of illegal immigrant students. The amended measure, which also seeks reimbursement from the federal government, passed 4-1 on Aug. 19 with no reaction from teachers and comments from only a handful of students.

The proposal--which even its supporters say will have no practical effect--seeks to recover money that Martin says the school district needs to build schools and alleviate crowding. Proponents say that state education funds allocated to do this are not enough.

The plan calls for the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service to count the number of illegal immigrant students in each school and determine their countries of origin--something that INS officials say they would not do.

For all the personal attacks and impassioned rhetoric that have marked board meetings, few of those most directly affected by the debate are aware of it, district officials and teachers say.

“School hasn’t begun, and most of the kids that I’ve talked with aren’t even aware that this is going on,” said George Pripless, president of the Anaheim Secondary Teachers Assn. The union will not take a position on the issue, and district administrators also have vowed to stay neutral.

District Supt. Janice Billings says that she is very passionate about not allowing the controversy to enter classrooms. Billings has instructed administrators and teachers not to discuss the issue in public.

“It hasn’t affected school and it won’t,” she said. “This is a political issue, this is the board’s thing.”

Patricia Valdovinos, 17, returned from vacation in her native Mexico last week to learn that her school district had made national news. The Loara High School senior was the only one in a group of five who was aware that school officials want to be reimbursed for educating some of her friends.

“Mexico doesn’t have the money to pay for such a thing,” she said. “I don’t really understand it. That’s why we come here in the first place, to get a better education.”

If the INS showed up at Loara High School to “count heads,” her friend, 16-year-old Maria Pedrosa, said she would feel slighted.

“They would be violating my rights,” said Pedrosa, a Loara senior.

Math teacher Bialowas hopes to see the two sides find a way to work together.

“If they can find the energy to get the best of both sides and put that into play, we would be better off,” he said. “Maybe this will make people more aware of the problems we are facing.”